


Tired

by sommeabitch



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-05-29
Packaged: 2018-07-10 22:05:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7010068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sommeabitch/pseuds/sommeabitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How can I catch you when we're both falling?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tired

               Warm breath swirled through the cold air, emanating from the quiet turtle that perched on the edge of the roof. Raphael felt sick; the kind of sick that sucked the strength from your bones and settled menacingly in your stomach. Every swig of beer that he swallowed seemed to smooth out the edges; curb the blatantly distinct ice that flowed through his veins. But no matter how much he drank he’d found it couldn’t remove it. He blinked at the city skyline numbly, listening to the sounds of the passing cars. The familiarity of the noises soothed him into an almost meditative trance.

               Familiar footsteps shuffled across the rooftop, bee lining wobbly towards him. Raph didn’t look up, but only nursed his bottle generously. Juno plopped down beside him, crossing her legs in front of her, and put a smoking cigarette to her lips. Raph glanced sideways at her, watching her incoherently as she took a long drag from it and blew the smoke out through her nose. After a second, she rolled her head towards him and returned his surprised expression with a completely impassive one.

               “What,” she said, bringing the cigarette to her mouth again.

               “Since when do you smoke?” he asked.

               He found that his voice sounded just as tired as he felt. She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and exhaled a cloud of smog.

               “Since recently,” she replied and Raph rolled his eyes.

               “Yeah, well you’re quitting now,” he flicked the cigarette out of her fingers and watched it cascade down to the street below.

               He sat back, expecting to get punched, or yelled at in the least, but Juno only watched the small spot below where her cigarette had landed, solemnly. Raph studied her expression thoughtfully. He knew the blank look on her face well; he saw it every time he looked into a mirror. Neither of them cared anymore; all they wanted was for it to be over.

               Raph thought how little it mattered if she smoked, that maybe he should be smoking too; but something inside him refused. Some part of him wanted to preserve this; no matter how hopeless and lifeless he felt. Something in him screamed for life. As he looked at Juno’s searching gaze, so close to the edge of the roof, that part of him wanted to preserve her too.

               Raph wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her gently away from the edge, moving with her onto the flat surface of the roof. Juno only looked at him blankly. She knew he understood; there was no point in acting like she wasn’t thinking about it. She was so tired, and no amount of sleep could fix it.

               She sank into him, pulling herself into his lap and embracing him. Slowly, he returned the embrace, melting into her. Something about the solidity of their forms anchored them and the two began crying into each other. Making their bodies as close as possible, they sucked in shaky breaths and sobbed against each other’s skin. All the pain built up from months of torment poured out of them shamelessly as they clung to each other desperately, searching for something to hold onto.

               The state of numbness that the two had been trapped in for weeks seemed to fade slightly, making room for anguish. They gasped at the agonizing emotion that invaded their neglected senses and let it flow through them, welcoming the feeling. Slowly, after what felt like hours, the anguish dissipated into relief. Their hiccuping breathing felt lighter and the cold of the night stung acutely. Juno shivered, enjoying the sensation, turning her face to look back at the city. They sat like that until their breathing evened out again and Raph broke the silence.

               “Juno… I…” He husked out, his tone careful.

               He said nothing else, and Juno wondered if he was going to continue. Reluctantly, she moved to look him in the face, pulling away from him just enough to look him in the eyes. They were bloodshot and the skin beneath them sagged from exhaustion, but they were the eyes that she knew. His emerald orbs shone with energy, the same energy that she’d seen blazing there on the day that she’d met him. It was a dim spark now; a flicker compared to the inferno that she remembered, but it was him; and she had _missed him._

               She leaned forward and pressed a kiss against him mouth, not even looking for a response. This kiss was a self-indulgence; she wanted to soak him up, feel as much of Raph as she could before they had the chance to fade again. Raph felt exactly the same way and responded immediately, moving his mouth hungrily against hers. They sucked at one another’s lips desperately, crushing their bodies together tightly. They roved over each other’s mouths for many minutes before finally pulling away, gasping for breath.

               A strange sense of satisfaction filled them, lulling them into a sense of calm. They were quiet for a moment; simply breathing and enjoying the tranquility.

               “I’m tired,” Juno eventually hummed into his neck.

Raph only nodded in response, shifting his arms beneath her legs and scooping her up. He carried her down the steps of the fire escape and set her down at the window sill so she could step inside. The two moved into the dark room of Juno’s apartment, gravitating towards the twin bed that resided in the corner. Juno quietly slipped out of her jeans and crawled onto the cool mattress, watching Raph as he fell beside her.

               The light from the window illuminated his features. She reached out and touched his face, stroking the skin beneath his eye, smoothing over the edges. He gazed at her, lids hooded, blinking slowly, and then slid closer to her beneath the covers. They pressed their foreheads together, shutting their eyes and breathing each other in, slowly sinking into a peaceful sleep.


End file.
